My Bella now has a special spot in the kitchen. It does to say that our kitchen is huge - some 15 feet in length and 12 in width (at least.) Full of light. Wonderful butcher-block huge kitchen table. I spend most of my time at it, writing (I'm a journalist), researching, reading e-mail, etc. Bella used to sit couched on the kitchen table next to my left arm, dominating the newspaper. Now, however, she sits all the way over against the back wall on a mahogany box that contains silverware. There's a window there, where she often suns herself and looks out.

She does sleep on our bed at night - always in my husband's place, not far from me. My little rescue cat, Jamie, lies at my feet. Neither is a lap cat. Both show their attachment to me by their proximity.

I adopted them only five months after my beloved Trooch, the last of a trio of Siamese siblings, died in January 2017. Bella and Jamie both arrived June 1. I kept them in separate rooms for a week, used a gate to separate them, then we released them into each other's company. They did a good deal of swatting and hissing for a bit, but began playing together quickly. Now, they hardly hiss at all. In fact, never. They don't swat much. They romp around merrily, skiing along our hardwood floors. They have lots and lots of space - great for a Bengal and great for Jamie, who matches my Bella in energy and athletic prowess. What I'm wondering is whether Bella has bonded more with Jamie than with me. They do NOT sleep together. I'm not going to say they never will - I figure they have years and years ahead of them since they're not even two yet. But I'd be surprised. However, they really are good girlfriends, finally. They're really fun to watch, and we laugh and laugh at them. My attitude now is: I've never had cats like these. All my others have been conventionally affectionate - lying scrunched up next to me in bed, sitting in my lap, etc. But I do appreciate their cat-ness. Bella especially is more the "aloof" animal some people think all cats are. One disappointment: she never licks my nose anymore.

Ellen, here we go again. LOL. It is common for cats to bond closely with each other ... more so than with humans. After all, YOU are not a cat!!! When a cat joins you in bed, there is love there as the cat feels confident and comfortable being near you like that. Bella will NEVER be an overly affectionate kitty. She probably did not have a lot from her previous owner -- not all men are crazy about cats and shower them with love and affection. Bella seems happy and comfortable in your home. My bengal doesn't lick me, period! I get zero love from him unless he head butts me for food or treats or his walk. He will lay on my husband's lap and my husband will give Raiden a great massage (he also does the same with our other non-bengal kitty). I do the feeding, the walking, cleaning the litterbox -- and get no love out of it at all. But, I accept my two totally different kitties for the kitties they are. And I love them both to bits.

Heh, it's no-win if you dwell on that. Either they won't be friends, which would be extremely bad for you, or they will be friends, in which case you'll dwell on that. Plus as they age things will change. My bengals (biological sisters) were thick as thieves, and it was great how they could wear each other out, calm each other, sleep together etc. Now the more important things to them are playing da'bird or fetch with me, cuddling with me, or getting treats from me (you get the picture). And they like these things so much that they get cheesed off at each other when they perceived that they are getting the short end of the stick in terms of me. It's neither good nor bad, it just is what it is.

BTW, my suggestion is that if you spend so much time in your kitchen, there needs to be a cat tree in there. The closer to where you hang out the better. That will help your cause in multiple ways.

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I have an enormous and very expensive cat tree. Neither Bella nor Jamie like it. I can coax them to climb on it by putting their food or treats there, but then they jump down and away. If anyone out there is from New York City I’ll sell it for $50. (Bought for $80!)

$80? Is that the one you are referring to as enormous and very expensive?

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